The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-23
MARRIED AT 80.
An Old-Time Dancing Master WEEDS a
Bride of SO.
Ffom the PhtLndelphin Tin

From the Philadelphia Times.
An old-fashioned couple were the last pas
sengers to leave the ferry boat Baltic when
it ran into the slip at Market street, Cam
den, shortly after O'Clock yesterday morn
ing. The mans long hair was white as snow,
and his patriarchal beard fell in waves on
the bosom of his old-fashioned ruffled shirt.
| The sun glittered ON his patent-leather
pumps, that he hadn't worn before for more
| than twenty-five years, and his black cut
away coat, with its velvet collar, showed
that it was cut many years ago. His stove
pipe hat belonged to the back numbered
model of high hats that were worn by the
ancient swells of this city, and his cane, on
which he leaned heavily, was full of little
| knobs like an Irish blackthorn.
| The woman was dressed in the garb of a
| Quakeress, and from beneath her old-fash-
Toned steel-colored straight bonnet peeped
pretty silver curls Everybody turned and
looked after the old folks as they walked
slowly up from the ferry.
HUNTING FOR THE SQUIRE.
While the old lady was smiling and chat
| ting the old man kept constantly peeping up
| through his silver-rImmed spectacles at the
signs swinging in front of the stores on the
north side of Market street. They stopped
at several shops and the storekeepers came
out and pointed up Market street. Then
the storekeepers smiled and watched the old
couple as they stopped two or three small
| boys further up the street and saw the boys
point their fingers still further up the street
| Squire Schmidt, Camden's German justice
was strolzing his beautiful sorrel colored
| whiskers in his cigar store and police court
on Market street, near Third, when he heard
| voice in the store say, well, En-, here it
| is at last" and in an instant the old-faSh-
toned couple walked in. The old man made
a dignified salute and his quaint companion
made a courtesy. Squire Schmidt slipped
| back of the counter and said:
"Strong or mild~
The old man said he never smoked and
| the two said in chorus, eve want to get
married. sir"
Since the passage of the Pennsylvania
marriage law Camden 'Squires are prepared
| for any surprises in the matrimonial line,
and Squire Schmidt quickly replied: Ger
tainly." He said that he knew they were
above the required age and supposed they
hadn't eloped, and # they waited for two
minutes he would call in witnesses.
FULFILLING AN OLD, OLD PROMISE.
Squire Schmidt called in Barber Charley
Dreher, who Eeeps tonsorial palace across
the way from the Justices office, and Law
yer Richard Ridgway Jr., whose office is
| near by, was also invited TO come over to the
'Sduires. They were the witnesses to the
| tying of the nuptial knot, which was done in
| Squire Schmidts most solemn and impress
sive way.
| The groom said he was Charles Brooks,
the old-time dancing master, who taught
many Fishtown belle more than fifty years
ago to dance the Herring Hornpipe" and
the "Kensington Swing" and the "Gunner's
| Run Racquet dances that were popular in
those days. He said he was &c years old
The bride was Emma Erich, and she mod
estly said that the zephyrs of 6S summers
had famed her cheeks that no longer blush
| like the roses. Before the Justice made them
man and wife Dancing master Brooks told
a romantic story. He said he was about to
fulfill promise he made over fifty years
ago.
She whom he was about to make his wife
had won his heart over half q century ago.
| They were lovers then. She was the daugh-
| ter of a well-to-do Jersey farmer. and was
one of the prettiest girls in all Burlington
county. He first met her at u harvest
\ home near the home of her grlhood. Her
sweet face and graceful figure captivated
! him, and after a long com'tship they made
mutual vows of marriage. But the girls
father opposed their union, and not long
afterward they were separated. She was
tak,n to Virginia, and he went West, and
SO n both were lost to each other.
REUNITED AFTER MANY YEARS.
Some years later ne came Dack 10 Gnlla-
delphia and married. His wife died and he
was quietly living widower's life, when,
after separation of almost u half century,
he discovered that his old love, Miss Erich,
was living in Philadelphia. They soon
met. She had been constant always and
had never married. They still loved each
other, and when she reminded him of the
promise of fifty years ago he proposed the
trip across the ferry yesterday.
Welded AND BLESSED BY THE SQUIRE.
When the old man had finished his story
Squire Schmidt smiled, and then the knot
was tied. When the good-natured Squire
had pronounced the last word the old man
kissed his BRIDE and the quaint old lady
leaned over and kissed and Rugged the
groom. Then Squire Schmidt said sol
emily:
BLESS you, my children"
The certificate was handed TO the old lady,
and with hearty farewells thu old couple,
locked arm in arm, started back for the
ferry.
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